From left: Director, Legal Services, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Alhaji Tahir Idris, CEO of the council, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, Chairman/CEO, Dala Inland Dry Port, Abubakar Bawuro and Managing Director, Dala Inland Dry Port Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu during the visit of the NSC CEO on the sidelines of the just concluded National Council on Transport Conference, held in Kano.

The Executive Secretary/ CEO of the Nigerian Shipper’s Council NSC, Hon. Emmanuel Jime has assured that Dala Inland Dry Port IDP, Kano will boost Nigeria’s Trans-Sahara trade developments as well as her prospects in actively participating in the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA,

Jime, who was in Kano to participate in the just concluded 16th National Council on Transport conference held in Kano, the Kano State capital, also declared that the Dala Inland Dry Port has remained a pace-setter for other dry ports in the country.

The NSC-boss, who spoke while responding to a welcome address by the chairman of Dala IDP, Abubakar Sahabo Bawuro during a visit to the facility to inspect the on-going construction projects at Zawachiki, Kano State, assured that the management of the council under his watch would provide every necessary support for the IDP to succeed.

He said: “Kano leads the way as far as commercial activities are concerned, as all the states in the northern part of Nigeria regard Kano as the commercial hub.

The support and partnership provided by the Kano State Government with regard to the development of the Dala IDP is exemplary and should be emulated by other State Governments.

“The Dala IDP when completed, will serve to decongest the seaports, reduce the cost of doing business and provide an avenue for shippers in the hinterland and neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, and Republic of Benin to have their cargoes transported to their doorsteps”.

The chairman, who doubles as the CEO of the IDP had while welcoming the NSC CEO, appreciated the efforts of Kano State Government and the NSC for their roles in bringing the IDP project to actualisation.

He further pleaded for the support of the council to fast track the conferment of the dry port’s status as a Port of Origin and Port of Destination.

He assured that construction at the Dala IDP will be completed by the end of November 2021 and full operation will commence immediately.

It was gathered that as part of its continuous Corporate Social Responsibility CSR to the community, the company is constructing a school on the premises for children of the underserved; a project undertaken at the insistence of the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.

According to the chairman, the IDP will attract volumes of economic activities to the state, boost the infrastructural development, increase the Internally Generated Revenue IGR, and also increase employment opportunities.

The five-day National Council on Transportation conference is a triennial event organised by the Federal Ministry of Transport. It began on Monday September 6, and ended Friday, September 10, 2021.

In attendance were the Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Transport in the 36 states of the Federation, multilateral organisations as well as stakeholders in the transport sector.